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On a cool summer evening, curling up with a good read is a must. Whether fiction or non-fiction is your preference, taking a mental vacation to a pyramid in Egypt or flying “Around the World in Eighty Days” is a true adventure in experiencing timeless information and fantasy.

Huge book chains such as Barnes and Noble carry almost every book and every topic imaginable. Gigantic super bookcenters come complete with couches, lattes and free Internet hookup.

The river valley doesn’t have any of those. Instead, the valley offers unique bookstores, filled to the brim with must-reads that have been hand-selected by individual bookstore owners.

Mill Run Booksellers in Milford, PA carries a wide variety of new books. What makes this bookstore special is its setting—a mill that ran solely on the power created by a waterwheel. The store, retaining its original floors and ceilings, extrudes an aroma of water and age-soaked wood. The books are presented on old wood shelving. A special children’s section has a tiny table near a window so that children can read and take in the bright illustrations. The delightful and well-read owner, Barbara Buchanan, handpicks every selection. Mill Run Booksellers is simply a must for bookstore explorers and history buffs.

Amidst the antique shops and cafés on Front Street in Port Jervis, NY, up the river a few miles from Milford, is the area’s largest privately run bookstore, The Book Nook. The old-fashioned shelves throughout the store’s two floors literally hold thousands of books. The Nook carries new, used and rare books, as well as prints and magazines. Every nook and cranny is filled with books. This is a looker’s delight. The rare book department carries beautiful aged selections, no longer in print. In contrast, the value hunter can have the experience of finding a timeless used classic for a mere quarter.

Main Street Books, another used bookstore on Main Street in Honesdale, PA, has a collection of 25,000 books. The store prides itself on being able to obtain almost any book on the market and their website, www.milfordbookcellar.com, allows you to search their inventory. Rare, antique, out-of-print and collectable books are their specialty, and the store carries various books on nature. The owners will also trade or buy books. If you’re lucky, you might catch the owner’s beautiful white poodle and mascot glancing at you through the book aisles.

Livingston Manor, NY received a New York State grant for the redevelopment of their Main Street. Many buildings were renovatedľone of which houses the Hamish and Henry Bookstore. The bookstore carries over 6,000 new books. One of the most delightful elements about Hamish and Henry is their selection of published work by local authors, including history and nostalgia books about Sullivan County and the Catskills. The bookstore has an extremely impressive children’s selection and reading areas. A fun factor of the bookstore is that they regularly have scheduled book readings and signings from published authors. The décor of the bookstore is artful, with interesting paintings and art elements around every corner.

Reading opens up different worlds for everyone. One of the greatest adventures in purchasing a book is exploring an independent bookstore and realizing its charm.